The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Dr. Felix Neumann met with Hon. Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne on 23rd July 2025 at the Parliament premises. The Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, and several senior officials, were also present at the meeting.
During the cordial discussions, both parties reaffirmed their strong commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Germany.
The German Ambassador expressed appreciation to the Hon. Speaker for establishing the Sri Lanka Germany Parliamentary Friendship Association for the Tenth Parliament, noting it as a positive step towards fostering closer ties between the two nations. He also highlighted the recent official visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to Germany, describing it as fruitful and mutually beneficial.
Commending Sri Lanka's current economic progress, the Ambassador praised the government's ongoing efforts towards good governance and anti-corruption. He also affirmed Germany's willingness to support Sri Lanka in areas such as tourism development and investment facilitation. In this context, he emphasized the importance of introducing streamlined procedures for investor approvals to encourage greater foreign investment.
During the meeting the Hon. Speaker Dr. Wickramaratne, extended his gratitude for Germany's longstanding support to Sri Lanka. He made special reference to the Ceylon-German Technical Training Institute, established in 1959 under an agreement between the Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and Sri Lanka, which has made a significant contribution to vocational training for Sri Lankan youth over the decades.
He further acknowledged Germany as Sri Lanka's 5th largest export destination and the 4th largest source of tourist arrivals, underscoring the importance of enhancing bilateral engagement in trade, tourism, and investment. The two sides discussed the importance of a strong reconciliation process for Sri Lanka, and the Hon. Speaker sought Germany's support in advancing these efforts.
Both parties concluded the meeting by reaffirming their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation in multiple sectors, including trade, tourism and investment.